Experience World Heritage

The uniqueness and special characteristics of the World Heritage "Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany" can be experienced and discovered on site!

The 15 component parts offer a broad variety of options: Their visitor centres allow a close insight into valuable ecosystem of the European Beech forests with their flora and fauna, guided tours and hands-on activities transform an excursion in the World Heritage site into a special experience!

In the World Natural Heritage site, nature has the priority: Preserving the values for future generations is the aim of the UNESCO designation! Please help to preserve this World Heritage and make use of available information about hiking tours or trails before starting your trip. Keep in mind: Let nature be nature also means to respect no-go areas and stay on designated paths!

Free World Heritage App

The World Heritage App „Ancient Beech Forests of Germany“ is now available to download for all smartphone systems.

The app informs users not only about the meaning and aims of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention, but also comprehensively about the specific characteristics of each of the five German component parts of the World Natural Heritage site.

Visitors can explore each component part via a selected world heritage trail. At the Baltic Sea, the app leads through a forest at the edge of which the beeches seem to plunge from the chalk cliffs into the sea. At the Müritz, it shows a path along the edge of the moor with mighty overhanging beeches. In the Schorfheide, the beeches are reflected in the clear water of the lakes at the edge of the trail. In Thuringia's Hainich, the app shows a path that winds through a sea of blossoms in spring from which grand old beeches rise. In Hesse's Kellerwald, it takes visitors on a path along barren and steep slopes, with gnarled trees clinging to the hillsides.

For each of these very different and exciting trails, the app also offers a lot of additional information on the typical and unique features of the respective regional beech forests and other outstanding institutions in the nature reserve.